Ingredients

2 sweet-tart apples, such as Honeycrisp, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks

1/4 cup dry sherry

8 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup unsalted butter

8 whole sage leaves

Instructions

In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high until it shimmers.

Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the squash and apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown slightly, 5 to 7 minutes more.

Add the sherry and use the side of the spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples and squash are soft, 10 to 15 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor. Blend on high until smooth, about 1 minute.

Return to the pot and stir in the heavy cream. Keep warm while you prepare the brown butter.

In a large sauté pan, combine the unsalted butter and the sage leaves. With the temperature on medium-low, allow the butter to melt, swirling the pan occasionally, until it begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

Remove the sage leaves from the browned butter. Ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle the butter over the soup.

Spicy Acorn Squash Fries With Chipotle Aioli

Acorn squash fries

If you're looking for a non-traditional side for your next burger night, bake up a batch of these acorn squash fries. The spice mixture gives the squash a bit of heat while baking them as fries is an unusual presentation for squash. Serve with chipotle aioli for dipping.